Six of Swords

Amashelle

The six of swords presents me with a conundrum.

When I first drew this card, I saw a woman on a journey. The full moon represents the mysteries she is ready to face, and the still waters are the calm of her emotions: she is not acting in haste or fear or anger, she is merely resolved to take this journey. She is dressed in the blue of serenity and creativity. She weilds her oar with pupose, and looks steadily to the right, into the future. And though she is alone, she still has the defence of the six swords, three behind (her past, her family/friends, and her knowledge), and three ahead (her determination, her ambitions, and her inner strength).

She has timed her journey perfectly, to match with the full moon, the night of full potential. She does not look back; she is not afraid of anything she is leaving behind.

All of this is emphasized by the frog, which is a symbol of rebirth, healing, transitions, and dreams, most of which are things that are also represented by the moon around her head.

When I looked her up in the book, it gave quite a different interpretation. It said the swords were her thought patterns, which bound her to her course rather than protecting her as she took it, and that the frog symbolisized the 'flight' responce: that she was running away from something that she might not need to be running from.

This is the first deck based on the RWS that I have looked at, so I don't know if my unfamiliarity with the symbols used is clouding my interpretation, so I thought I'd ask what others have thought of this card.
 

celticnoodle

I actually like your interpretation, and can see that meaning too. and, I am also a firm believer in that the card is telling you what YOU see in the card-not necessarily what is 'normally' thought of as the meaning of the card. so, if you see the 6 of swords saying that she is journeying into the future, ready to face the mysteries it'll bring, and in full control of her emotions--then so be it! that is how the card is read for you.
 

myswriter

The book that I got with the deck, which is Josephine Ellershaw's book, gave an interpretation similar to yours, which was one I was very comfortable with. It talks about a woman leaving something behind, I think the exact terminology was moving from turbulent waters into still waters. The interpretation of the card was that tough times were being left behind and smoother sailing was ahead, and the fact that the swords were with her showed that the lessons learned in the tough times would be carried with her. When I studied the card myself I found that this interpretation worked for me, as does yours, Amashelle.
 

robstanley1

Yes - ditto to the above.

The woman on the boat is neither worried-looking, nor is she concerned with looking back at the troubled waters she's already crossed.

She's prefectly serene, knowing that the swords she's collected on her journey through difficult times will serve her well, as she moves into the future.

The water she sails on represents her deeper inner emotional state, which is now calming following a period of turbulance.


Love & Light,

Rob